Young Patients Advocates Get Ready for Summer Training

Young patients from across Europe are getting ready for EPF’s 2018 summer training for young patient advocates.

40 young people will take part in the programme, which blends online learning with a three-day summer event in Vienna. Participants have been recruited through EPF’s member organisations and they include young people with a wide variety of health conditions from all across Europe.

The programme and co-creation

During the programme, the young advocates will develop their leadership skills, brush up on their knowledge of advocacy and patient rights as well as begin to plan their own advocacy campaign to implement after the course. This year’s programme also has a strong focus on enabling young advocates to take a greater role within patient organisations.

As well as the three-day event in July, participants also take part in online training modules and digital challenges. These are used to help them continue their cooperation outside of the summer training and create a network of young patient advocates.  

The summer training is part of EPF's Youth Strategy, aiming at creating a space where young patients can inspire and get inspired and learn from each other. As such, the young advocates programme intersects with all EPF thematic areas: patient empowerment, patient involvement, and sustainable organisations.

The programme is also being designed in partnership with the EPF’s youth group, who will be helping to lead teams of young advocates in their campaigns after the summer training. EPF’s project officer Lyudmil Ninov said: “We want the youth group to play a key role in developing this years event, meaningful co-production with young people is key.”

Future changemakers

Dan Moxon, a trainer from youth training organisation People Dialogue and Change, who are working with EPF to deliver the programme said,“EPF is building a really strong community of young advocates, we have been amazed by the things young people who came on last year's course went on to do, and we can’t wait to meet this year's group. Everyone involved will be a champion in their patient communities for years to come”